Through the course of life, disease or injury, the spinal canal, the laminae, or facets of one or more vertebral bodies can degenerate or become damaged, such that the spinal cord and/or nerve roots become compressed. This can result in an undesired anatomy, loss of mobility, and pain or discomfort. For example, spinal stenosis, as well as spondylosis, spondylolisthesis, osteoarthritis and other degenerative phenomena may cause back and leg pain. Such phenomena may be caused by a narrowing of the spinal canal by a variety of causes that result in the pinching of the spinal cord and/or nerves in the spine.
Decompression and fusion of two or more adjacent vertebrae are common options for treating these problems. However, it is known that fusion tends to cause the degeneration to migrate to adjacent vertebral levels. Thus, non-fusion solutions are desirable for the treatment of the above mentioned degenerative problems.